This invention relates to the cooling of electronics and more particularly to the cooling of electronics enclosures containing high power density electronic components.
It is well known to mount electronic components in an electronics enclosure, such as an electronic cabinet. Often the electronic components include a number of high power density components, such as amplifiers, RF modules, etc. which generate an appreciable amount of heat that must be dissipated to ensure optimum operation of the electronic components within the enclosure. It is known to dissipate the heat of such enclosures using forced air cooling and/or by mounting the electronic components on cold plates that allow the heat of the electronic components to be rejected to a cooling medium. Due to ever increasing power densities on both the component and board levels in a number of applications, such as telecommunications and enterprise server applications, air cooling within electronics enclosures is reaching its limit. Accordingly, the cooling of high power enclosures using cold plates is increasing.
In a typical cold plate system, the electronic components are placed on a cold plate through which a working fluid, such as a refrigerant or other coolant, is passed. Heat is rejected from the electronic components into the working fluid passing through the cold plate. Typically, the emerging working fluid is then run through an air-cooled heat exchanger where the heat is rejected from the working fluid to an air-stream that takes the heat away from the system. While such systems may work well for their intended purpose, there is always room for improvement.
The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved cooling system for electronics enclosures, such as high power electronics cabinets.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cooling system for an electronics enclosure that allows the user of the electronics enclosure to expand the thermal cooling solution as electronic components are added to the electronics enclosure.
According to one form of the invention, a modular cooling system is provided for an electronics enclosure that mounts a plurality of heat generating electronic components. The cooling system includes a plurality of cooling modules selectively mountable into the electronics enclosure, a cooling liquid supply manifold, and a cooling liquid return manifold. Each of the cooling modules includes an evaporative cold plate, a condenser, a vapor conduit, and a liquid conduit. The evaporative cold plate includes an evaporative flow path to direct a working fluid through the cold plate in heat exchange relation with electronic components associated with the cold plate to reject heat from the electronic components to the working fluid. The condenser includes a condensing flow path to direct the working fluid through the condenser in heat exchange relation with a cooling liquid to reject heat from the working fluid to the cooling liquid, a cooling liquid inlet connection, a cooling liquid outlet connection, and a cooling liquid flow path to direct the cooling liquid through the condenser from the cooling liquid inlet to the cooling liquid outlet in heat exchange relation with working fluid in the condensing flow path to reject heat from the working fluid to the cooling liquid. The vapor conduit connects the cold plate to the condenser to direct vapor phase working fluid from the evaporative flow path to the condensing flow path. The liquid conduit connects the condenser to the cold plate to direct liquid phase working fluid from the condensing flow path to the evaporative flow path. The cooling liquid supply manifold includes a plurality of cooling liquid supply connections, with each supply connection configured to connect with the cooling liquid inlet connection of one of the cooling modules to supply cooling liquid thereto. The cooling liquid return manifold includes a plurality of cooling liquid return connections, with each of the return connections configured to connect with the cooling liquid outlet connection of one of the cooling modules to receive cooling liquid therefrom.
In one aspect of the invention, the cooling system further includes a wall in the enclosure separating the electronic components and evaporative cold plates from the cooling liquid supply and return manifolds and the condensers of each of the cooling modules to shield the electronic components from the cooling liquid should the cooling liquid leak from the system. The wall includes a plurality of openings through which the vapor and liquid conduits may pass.
In a further aspect, each of the openings is a notch formed in a side of the wall that allows the vapor and liquid conduits of one of the cooling modules to be inserted into the electronics enclosure without disconnecting the vapor and liquid conduits from the condenser and evaporative cold plate of the cooling module.
In one aspect of the invention, a modular cooling system is provided for an electronics enclosure that mounts a plurality of heat generating electronic components. The cooling system includes a plurality of cooling modules selectively mountable into the electronics enclosure, a cooling fluid supply manifold, a cooling fluid return manifold, and a wall. Each of the cooling modules includes an evaporative cold plate, a condenser, a vapor conduit, and a liquid conduit. The evaporative cold plate includes an evaporative flow path to direct a working fluid through the cold plate in heat exchange relation with electronic components associated with the cold plate to reject heat from the electronic components to the working fluid. The condenser includes a condensing flow path to direct the working fluid through the condenser in heat exchange relation with a cooling fluid to reject heat from the working fluid to the cooling fluid. The vapor conduit connects the evaporative cold plate to the condenser to direct vapor phase working fluid from the evaporative flow path to the condensing flow path. The liquid conduit connects the condenser to the evaporative cold plate to direct liquid phase working fluid from the condensing flow path to the evaporative flow path. The cooling fluid supply manifold directs the cooling fluid to each of the condensers. The cooling fluid return manifold directs the cooling fluid from each of the condensers. The wall is positioned in the electronics enclosure to separate the electronic components and evaporative cold plates from the cooling fluid supply and return manifolds and the condensers of each of said cooling modules to shield the electronic components from the cooling fluid should the cooling fluid leak from the system. The wall includes a plurality of notches through which the vapor and liquid conduits may pass, with each of the notches being formed in a side of the wall to allow the vapor and fluid conduits of one of the cooling modules to be inserted into the electronics enclosure without disconnecting the vapor and liquid conduits from the condenser and evaporative cold plate of the cooling module.
In one aspect of the invention, a modular cooling system is provided for an electronics enclosure that mounts a plurality of heat generating electronic components. The cooling system includes a plurality of cooling modules selectively mountable into the electronics enclosure, a cooling liquid supply manifold, a cooling liquid return manifold, and a wall. Each of the cooling modules includes an evaporative cold plate, a condenser, a vapor conduit, and a liquid conduit. The evaporative cold plate includes an evaporative flow path to direct a working fluid through the cold plate in heat exchange relation with electronic components associated with the cold plate to reject heat from the electronic components to the working fluid. The condenser includes a condensing flow path to direct the working fluid through the condenser in heat exchange relation with a cooling liquid to reject heat from the working fluid to the cooling liquid. The vapor conduit connects the evaporative cold plate to the condenser to direct vapor phase working fluid from the evaporative flow path to the condensing flow path. The liquid conduit connects the condenser to the evaporative cold plate to direct liquid phase working fluid from the condensing flow path to the evaporative flow path. The cooling liquid supply manifold directs the cooling liquid to each of the condensers. The cooling liquid return manifold directs the cooling liquid from each of the condensers. The wall is positioned in the electronics enclosure to separate the electronic components and evaporative cold plates from the cooling liquid supply and return manifolds and the condensers of each of said cooling modules to shield the electronic components from the cooling liquid should the cooling liquid leak from the system.
In another aspect of the invention, each of the cooling modules further includes a baffle plate mounted on the cooling module to close one of the openings in the wall through which the vapor and liquid conduits of the cooling module pass. In a further aspect, each of the baffle plates is mounted on the vapor and liquid conduits of the associated cooling module.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a cooling module is provided for use in a modular cooling system for an electronics enclosure mounting a plurality of heat generating electronic components. The cooling system includes a cooling liquid supply manifold and cooling liquid return manifold. The cooling module includes an evaporative cold plate, a condenser, a vapor conduit, and a liquid conduit. The cold plate includes a cold plate inlet, a cold plate outlet, and an evaporative flow path to direct a working fluid from the cold plate inlet to the cold plate outlet in heat exchange relation with electronic components associated with the cold plate to reject heat from the electronic components to the working fluid. The condenser includes a working fluid inlet, a working fluid outlet, a condensing flow path to direct the working fluid through the condenser from the working fluid inlet to the working fluid outlet, a cooling liquid inlet connection configured to releasably connect to the cooling liquid supply manifold to receive cooling liquid therefrom, a cooling liquid outlet connection configured to releasably connect to the cooling liquid return manifold to deliver cooling liquid thereto, and a cooling liquid flow path to direct a cooling liquid through the condenser from the cooling liquid inlet to the cooling liquid outlet in heat exchange relation with the working fluid in the condensing flow path to reject heat from the working fluid to the cooling liquid. The vapor conduit connects the cold plate outlet to the working fluid inlet to direct vapor phase working fluid from the evaporative cold plate to the condenser. The liquid conduit connects the working fluid outlet to the cold plate inlet to direct liquid phase working fluid from the condenser to the evaporative cold plate. In one aspect, the connections comprise quick disconnects.
As one feature, the evaporative flow path, the vapor conduit, the condensing flow path, and the liquid conduit form a thermosiphon for the working fluid flow through the cooling module.
As another feature, the evaporative flow path, the vapor conduit, the condensing flow path, and the liquid conduit form a heat pipe for the working fluid flow through the cooling module.
As yet another feature, the evaporative flow path, the vapor conduit, the condensing flow path, and the liquid conduit form a looped heat pipe for the working fluid flow through the cooling module.
As one feature, the cooling module further includes a pump associated with the liquid conduit to enhance the working fluid flow through the cooling module, with the evaporative flow path, the vapor conduit, the condensing flow path, the pump, and the liquid conduit forming a pumped two-phase cooling cycle for the working fluid flow through the cooling module.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification and claims taken in connection with the accompanied drawings.